Medicated button



April 26, 1938. w, scHo L 2,115,237

MEDICATED BUTTON Filed May 11, 1936 EVEEYUF @VWVV/LLMM 80/1044.

Patented Apr. 26, 1938' UNITED TATES A T F CE) I MED'IdATED 'BUTTON William M. Soho ll, Chicago, Ill. Application Mayll, 1936, Serial No. 79,005 12" Claims. (of. 128153) This invention relates to improvements in a medicated button or pad for attachment directly to the body of a user, the invention being'highly desirable for use in connection with the treatment of corns, calli, and similar afflictions, "although the invention may have other uses and'purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in'the art. e In the past, in the treating of corns, calli and the like, it has been' customary to apply a pad of non-medicated cushioning material "around the particular affliction, th'e'pad usually having a recess in which a small button or piece of cloth carrying medicament thereon might "be placed. Such buttons were not as efficient as may be desired in all cases, due to the fact that they did not cover all of the afflicted area. This wasmainly because of the shape of the button, namely, a relatively thin piece of cloth carrying a relatively thin flat layer of medicament'on' the under face thereof, usually resulting in a round fiat button. Therefore, "in the treatment of a corn, for example, while the treatment may be successful in- 'sofar as a part of the corn is concerned, the treat ment frequently was unsuccessful in removing the entire hard, horny layers of skin from-the surrounding healthy skin tissue. Frequently, also, it was difficult to "place a medicated button properly over an affliction because there was not sufiicient room around the aflliction for the placement of a cushioning pad or the like to keep the button in position. Further, many occasions arose where it would be much simpler merely to place a medicated button in position rather than resort to a pad or some other element to hold the 5 button in position. 7

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a medicated button in which the medicament is so shaped as to be readily applicable over the entire surface of an 40 afliiction, such as a corn, callus or a surface afiliction of somewhat similar nature.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of a medicated button for attachment to the body directly over an aflliction, the button carry- 45 ing medicament thereon of such shape as to readily adapt itself to the contour of the particular affliction so as to cover intimately all of the afflicted area.

Another object of this invention is to provide 50 a medicated button shaped for attachment to the body of a user, so as to intimately cover the entire afilicted area, and which button may be properly attached to the area by itself, without the aid of any other holding means. 55 A further object of this invention is the provision of a medicated button attachable to the body of a user eitherin conjunction'with a recessed pad, adhesive tape or the like,or by" itself. I

Still another object of this inventionis'the 25' provision of a medicated-application for attachment to the body of a user, incorporating'a medicament having the ability to follow intimately the irregular surface lines of .various afflictions, such as corns, calli and similar surface afflictions. 1

A further featureof this invention is theprovision of a medicated button consisting of abacking and a plastic mass of medicament of such consistency as to be adhesive in character and adaptable tofollow the irregular surface lines of as an affliction. i While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the present invene tion have been above pointed out, others will ,become apparent from the following disclosures, r taken in "conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a medicated button embodying features of the present inven tion, illustrating a type of button desirable for 7 applicationovera corn or callus, very greatly I enlarged;

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional view of the structure of Figure 1, taken substantially as indicated by the line IIII of Figure 1, looking 30 in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a corn and surrounding skin, illustrating the application of the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2. I

As shown on the drawing:

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is shown a button comprising a backing 5 of cloth or equivalent material. This backing carries a plastic mass 6 of medicament 40 which may consist of gutta percha, resin, lanoline, petrolatum, beeswax, phenol derivatives, salicylic acid, or other necessary medicaments, de-

pending upon the particular disorder to be treated i by the button. This medicament is further preferably'plastic so that it will follow the irregular surface lines of corn or callus growths and other surface afflictions. At the same time, the medicant is possessed of adhesive properties so that it I will firmly adhere to the body of a user. 7

Before application, the medicament mass 6, in this instance, is of a shape to define a central recess 1 surrounded and defined by an annular hump 8 of arcuate cross section so that the central portion of the hump is the thickest part of theibutton is pressedinto tight contact with the fining the same.

In Figure 3, I have shown the application of the button to an afiliction in the nature of 1a.}

corn. For illustrative purposes, I have selected a. hard corn 9 of the character usually foundon the dorsum of the foot, numeral lllindicating the epidermis and numeral l I, the derma, greatly enlarged. As is usual with corns of'this char- ,acter, the corn 9 projects above the skin surface and has an irregular contour l2. When the button is placedover the'corn; with'therecess 1 substantially over the" central part of the corn and skin the plastic mass 6 readily'adapts itselfto :the' irregular contour of the corn'and intimately contacts the entire surf-acebf the. corn. As

stated above, the plastic, mass is also adhesive in character sufliciently to hold the button firmly uponthe body'of a user "so that no other struc ture is necessary to maintain the button'in position, theba'ckin-g'Sof-the button serving to protect'the'wearersthose or'other articles of ap- .parel; As indicated at l3; it, will be seen that the plasticmass" willi fill a crevice between the corn and surrounding, healthy skin, so that the medication reaches all points of the hardened skin or corn:tissue.-

. If sodesired, a covering may be placed over the button;i'either in'the-nature of a recessed cornpad'orin' the nature of a, strip of adhesive 14 which may .be of "any suitable type, such as the commonly known zinc oxide 'adhesive tape. Such addedi covering may be deemed'desirable forthe' relieving'of pressure over a greaterarea or, for other purposes; but'such extra covering is not" necessary to maintain the button'in position on the body.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided a medicated button desirable for the treatment of surface aillictions of thebody, which is self-adhering and capable of self-adaptation to s the irregular contours of the affiiction, so that all of the afflicted area is intimately covered by the medication. Further, it will be seen that the button is simple in use, may be simply carried, may be easily and quickly attached, and may be manufactured very economically. I

I am awarethat many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: V

1. A medicated button for use in treating corns and formed of a plastic medicament having adhesive properties and fiowable under pressure when wornto intimately contact and adhere to the horny layers of skinabout a corn and withoutrnecessitating other holdingcmeans, said but ton being-formed to define) a spreadable, wall.

bounding a shallow curvedrecess which forms a central area to'receive the upwardly projecting 'part'of a cornand thereby to position the spreadable wall of the the corn.

button relative to thecore of 2. "A medicated button f-ortusein treating corns and-formed of a plastic medicament having :ad-

hesive properties and flowable under pressurewhenworn to intimately contact-and adhereto the horny layers of skinabout a corn and Without necessitating other holding means, saidbuttoncomprising a back of cloth, or the like, and

a plastic and 'adherent'inassof medicament secured to said back and'formed'to define a'shalflow central'portion bounded by anannular and wall spreadable to pro-duceintimate contact of core-of the-corn and covered by: said back;

WILLIA M. 'SCHOLL. 7

1'4; reversely'curved wall and defining a central poCk- 7 et to-r eceiv ethe core of a corn and, anarinular theplasticmass with the horny skin about the 

